Citing Brake Concern, Feds Investigate 2.7M Pickups, Sport Utes

Chevrolet's 2014 -16 Tahoe, Silverado and Suburban are among the vehicles under scrutiny. Photo by Getty Images

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By Christopher Jensen

Federal regulators are investigating whether 2.7 million of General Motors most popular trucks should be recalled for a brake problem, according to a report posted on the website of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The agency said it has reports of nine “low speed” accidents and two injuries amid the 111 complaints from owners about “extended stopping distances.”

The owners complained of the brake pedal being harder to push than normal, so it took longer to stop.

“The brake pedal becomes extremely stiff and ineffective,” an owner from Texas wrote last month. “This situation occurred on a few occasions and caused great alarm with myself and my wife. Great potential exists for an accident involving machinery, animals or human beings.”

The agency tentatively attributed the problem to “deterioration of the engine-driven brake assist vacuum pump. The brake assist vacuum pump is driven by an accessory belt on the engine and serves as the source of power brake vacuum in the subject vehicles. Over time, the pump's capacity to generate vacuum may deteriorate.”

The agency has opened what’s called a preliminary evaluation. If it finds additional reason for concern it could upgrade the investigation into an engineering analysis. That is more likely – but not certain – to lead to a recall.

A GM spokesman said the automaker is cooperating with NHTSA including "monitoring field reports and other data n these vehicles."